Men spearheading peace

By PETER WARI
A GROUP of men from three villages in Southern Highlands have formed a peace and reconciliation committee to bring peace to their communities where two clans have been involved in tribal fighting.
The clans are from Nipa-Kutubu.
Chairman Felix Kindup told The National that 27 men from Soi, Komea and Ingin villages formed the committee to foster peace between the Suma and Komea tribes.
He said about two months ago, a fight broke out between the two tribes in the Nipa rural local level government (LLG) over an attempt to appeal a court decision that was handed down by the Nipa peace and good order committee.
The Komea tribe asked the committee why an appeal could go on without meeting the demands.
Kindup said when the fight broke out, an innocent secondary school student was nearly chopped, which led to the burning down of eight houses that evening.
“The next morning heavy fight started and a grade 10 Nipa Secondary student was gunned down by the Suma clan,” he said.
“The Komea clan retaliated by killing a one-year-old baby boy from the Suma tribe, dozens of houses were burnt down and food gardens destroyed.”
Kindup said since the fight started, students from Pesi and Komea villages could not attend classes due to threat and intimidation.
“Tribal fight is one major cause of poverty where resources that should have been used to improve people’s living are destroyed and wasted during compensation ceremonies.
“Innocent school children are affected while elderly people, mothers and children seek refuge elsewhere,” he said.
Kindup, who is the Nipa-Kutubu district affairs officer, said the committee was formed to pave way for a lasting peace in order to make way for the provincial government’s impact projects.
He said the Nipa-Kutubu development authority were doing a good work and wanted people to allow the authority to implement its policies under the leadership of local MP Jeffrey Komal.